Outermost Voice

St. Mary of the Harbor

OUTERMOST VOICE

Fall 2019

Surviving the Storm

People who live next to the ocean don't have to look far to find evidence of the power of nature. Everything from buoys to crustacean carcasses, seaweed to sea glass and everything in between can be found on local beaches after a storm. A few weeks ago on a stormy day, a boat came untethered from its moorings and was swept aground on St. Mary's beach. As one large wave after another rolled ashore, the boat began to take on water and within minutes succumbed to the storm's fury.

You don't have to be a climate scientist to recognize the change in the intensity and frequency of the storms we are seeing these days. During the latest storm to hit Provincetown, damage was done to the church's bell tower, shingles were ripped from the rectory's roof and a minor leak discovered inside the church.

photo of damage to the bell tower

At diocesan convention last week, Bishop Alan Gates spoke of the accelerating effects of climate change by referring to one of Jesus' narratives found in Luke's gospel . It has to do with a story Jesus told about a wronged widow who repeatedly appeared before an unjust judge and pleaded for justice. Each time the judge ignored her pleas. The point: The earth is pleading with us to do something. The question is not, are we listening ? The question is, how will we respond to this new reality ?

As a congregation, we made recycling and the use of eco-friendly products a priority at St. Mary of the Harbor some years ago. Thanks to your generosity, energy efficient heating and cooling units were installed two years ago in the church and parish hall. And solar panels were installed a year ago to reduce the church's reliance on heating oil. More recently, work was done to repair and reinforce the church's seawall to prevent further deterioration and the danger of collapse, something that happened during a recent storm to one of our neighbors on the other end of town.

Seawall that collapsed near the Anchor Inn on west end of Ptown

Working in unison with other congregations to address climate change, St. Mary of the Harbor joined the Faith Communities Environmental Network (FCEN) last year to lend our voice with the voices of the many people of faith who are concerned about the effects global warming is having on coastal communities. Vestry member Sharon Inger recently attended a meeting of FCEN as our parish's representative. You can read more in her article in this edition of the OuterMost Voice.

While these steps are important, there is still more to be done. If NOAA's projections are correct, the climate patterns we are experiencing now will likely become more pronounced. While we are doing our part to address the church's immediate carbon footprint now, we also need to be prepared for the future. For that we need to be mindful not only of the reality of what is happening around us but also of what is going on within us.

When faced with what seems like insurmountable circumstances, it is not unusual for people to feel so overwhelmed that they are unable to make decisions or move forward. However, in doing nothing, we in essence surrender to the situation. If we are going to adapt to the reality of climate change, we first have to acknowledge that the biggest obstacle we face is not the storms that threaten our coastlines but our hesitation to do something while we still have time. That doesn't make the decisions we have to make any easier. It clears the way so that we can make informed choices and plan for the future.

Terry+

Upcoming Events at St. Mary of the Harbor

S 4 Memorial Service

November 16 at 11:00 a.m.

Thanksgiving Day Service

November 28 at 10:00 a.m.

Advent Contemplative Service

Wednesdays at 5:00 p.m.

December 4, 11 & 18

Christmas Eve Service

December 24 at 5:00 p.m.

Christmas Day Service

December 25 at 10:00 a.m.

Financial Update

Mike Sutila, Treasurer

Like other churches on the Cape, St. Mary of the Harbor is in no small part financially impacted by the seasonal nature of being located in a resort community. With the close of the summer season, we have a better picture of where the church's finances stand as we move into fall. The church ended August 2019 with an operating surplus of $7,113 which is down from the same period in 2018 by $16,092. This was largely due to a drop in plate and pledge offerings. Year to date seasonal offerings were up by $12,966. Likewise, Gifts and Bequests were up by $6,590 from the same period last year. Unfortunately, revenues from the Art & Spirit auction and the Summer Fair were both off. Combined, sales were down $8,900 compared to the previous year.

Total expenses were up also by $11,068 due to increased operating costs, including payroll and insurance. Outreach was also up by $3,956 from last year. Other expenses, including building and grounds were down from last year by $2,376.

Despite a fluctuating stock market, the church's investments remain sound and there is a healthy reserve of cash on hand to pay the church's immediate expenses. As we transition to winter though, we are cognizant that cash collections typically decrease, which makes it all the more important that we closely monitor the church's expenses and also our individual financial commitments to St. Mary's.

Climate Change and the Church

report by Sharon Inger

On a beautiful Saturday afternoon in October, over 300 people chose to be inside, packed into St. Christopher Episcopal Church in Chatham to list to a call to take action on climate change. Organized by the Faith Communities Environmental Network (FCEN), this second annual Cape and Islands Faith and Science Forum brought together scientists, faith leaders, politicians, and local activists.

The afternoon was divided into two sections. The first, "The Big Picture" featured Philip Duffy, president and executive director of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, who presented the science of climate change, and Mary Evelyn Tucker, co-founder and director of the Yale Forum on Religion and Ecology, who spoke of the moral/ethical aspects of climate change.

Duffy emphasized the urgency. Noting that CO2 in the atmosphere stays longer than human lifetimes, he explained that we have "decades not centuries" to address the issue. Echoing that urgency, Tucker stated that we must see this as "the most critical moment in human history." Tucker said that to confront "the hourglass of human extinction" will take the strong moral voices of faith communities to bring about an ecological reformation. Framing the ethical/moral issue, she cited reports that Americans with five percent of the world's population use 40% of the world's resources.

The second half of the conference, "Taking Action," featured a panel of local activists and government officials moderated by Dan Wolfe. Julian Cyr reported on current state legislation that is trying to bring Massachusetts back to a leadership position on the environment. Rich Delaney of the Center for Coastal Studies, Andrew Gottleib of the Association to Preserve Cape Cod, Chris Powicki, of 350 CapeCod, and Montana Bailey, of Nauset High School Green Club, presented the work of their organizations and ways that others can get involved to take action.

At the Diocesan Convention on November 2, the Diocese of Massachusetts adopted a resolution to "Take the Next Step for Creation" calling on all churches to

Share our stories of love and concern for the earth
Stand with those most vulnerable to the harmful effects of environmental change
Change our habits and choices in order to live more simply, humbly, and gently on the earth.

If you would like to get involved or find out more about what others on the Cape are doing, here are some organizations to check out:

Faith Communities Environmental Network (St. Mary's is a member) https://capecodcllimate.org/faitthnetwork
350 Cape Cod [email protected]
Association to Preserve Cape Cod capecodclimate.org

A Summer Filled with Events

St. Mary of the Harbor

Playing to a full house, the Mary Oliver memorial service at St. Mary's included readings from her poetry and music by Fred Jodry and Jonathan Dimmock

July 4th Celebration

Outer Cape Chorale Chamber Singers

annual concert at St. Mary's

Art & Spirit 2019

Mark and George returned as this year's auctioneers

Summer Fair 2019

Crowds line up to get into the Summer Fair

Hot dogs and fun times

Deidre Malloy all dressed up to welcome the crowds

Carnival 2019

Vestry member Ollie Ahmuty represented Seashore Point in this year's Carnival parade

The Reverend Richard Mayberry moved from Connecticut to Provincetown when he retired. Looks like retirement agrees with him

Brian Talbot (under the unicorn outfit)

50th Wedding Anniversary

Paula and Bill Charette celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary at St. Mary of the Harbor. Paula attends St. Mary's during the summer.

Repairs

Scott Yagel (L) and John Carroll (R) power washed and resealed the S4 Memorial Cross and benches in the churchyard. Well done. Thank you!

Commercial Street Project

The month's long Commercial Street project in front of the church was finally completed with minimal disruption to access the church. Our thanks to Sherry Prada at Ptown DPW for keeping us well informed.

Seawall Repair

St. Mary's spent $25k to seal fissures that had developed in the concrete over the years. The work will help prevent future damage to and extend the life of the seawall.

Part of the project included shoring up the weakest points in the seawall by injecting a solidifying agent several feet into the ground to counter the wall agains tidal action.

Garden Water Pump

The pump for the irrigation system that keeps the churchyard watered and healthy during the summer months had to be replaced. Our thanks to Bruce Cagwin who kept the old pump running long past its useful life. All churches should be so lucky to have a plumber in the congregation.

Thanksgiving Offering

The Outreach Committee has recommended and the vestry has concurred that t his year's Thanksgiving Offering will go to Habitat for Humanity of Cape Cod. Donations can be made online via the church's PayPal account which can be accessed here:

https://www.stmaryoftheharbor.org

click on the orange donate button on the webpage

to donate online

You can also donate by check. Please include the words Thanksgiving Offering with your donation.

Vestry Update

Vestry Actions May through September 2019:

Received Nominating Committee's report for annual meeting
Concurred with Outreach Committee's recommendation to donate $500 to Amazing Grace Summer Camp for children of incarcerated family members
Approved $2582 to replace kitchen fire suppression system
Approved replacement of water pump for the church's irrigation system
Received structural engineer's report on the rectory foundation

The church's financials and vestry minutes are available in the church office for parishioner's to review.

New Website

St. Mary of the Harbor has a new website created during Terry's sabbatical in June. The website is filled with photographs and is designed to invite people to explore their faith at the place where the land, the sea, and the sacred meet. Check it out at

https://www.stmaryoftheharbor.org

Stay in touch. Get the latest diocesan wide news at this link:

http://diomass.org/news-pubs/by-category/Diocesan%20News

Parishioner Directory

If you need an updated directory sent to you, please contact Penny at [email protected] or call the office at 508-487-2622.

Paypal

Online giving is available for anyone who is interested in making pledge payments or one time gifts electronically. Access it through the church's website at www.stmaryoftheharbor.org where you will find a "Donate" button on the menu bar at the top of the page and to the right. Click and it will take you to Paypal where you can make your donation. Contact Mike Sutila at msutila@chasemachine if you have questions.